The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus, a wristwatch type electronic device, and an authentication system which can be effectively applied to various electronic devices such as a wristwatch.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. 10-377409, filed on Dec. 31, 1998, No. 11-020854, filed on Jan. 28, 1999, and No. 11-322085, filed on Nov. 12, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Conventionally, as a system capable of directly reading or writing data from an information carrier with non-contact by means of electromagnetic waves without a reader/writer, a data carrier system (or Radio Frequency Identification System=RF-ID System: ISO/IEC 14443, hereinafter, referred to as RF-ID) is known.
At present, the RF-ID system is employed for electronic ticket, electronic commutation ticket or electronic lift ticket used in ski run or the like as an authentication medium (data carrier, which is also called ID Tag, hereinafter, referred to as ID-Tag).
For example, in the electronic lift ticket, the IP-Tag compatible with the above RF-ID system is incorporated in bracelet or necklace and wristwatch that a skier (a person targeted for authentication) wears, thereby making it possible for the skier to pass a gate by holding the tag onto the reader/writer of the gate provided at an entrance of a lift. In this manner, usability of lift is improved for a skier gripping stocks in hands.
The RF-ID system employs a variety of contacting methods according to usage. For example, in the RF-ID system, in the case of an electromagnetic induction method, the ID Tag is composed of an antenna coil in which a loop is formed and a data carrier IC configured to control inductive electromotive force of this antenna coil. The antenna coil or an antenna coil containing a magnet core is opposed between the reader/writer provided at the gate so as to contact a signal of a hundred to some hundreds of KHz (long wave to middle wave) as an information transmission medium utilizing an inductive electromagnetic field.
According to the above contacting method, the ID Tag is adopted to receive data with a distance of some tens of centimeters by means of the coil antenna and to read and write non-volatile memory data in the data carrier IC.
A signal in a long wave to middle wave bandwidth used for such electromagnetic method or an electromagnetic coupling method capable of transmitting power simultaneously during information transmission without incorporating a battery easily transmits a non-conductive material, hardly receives reflection of an electric conductor, and is low in directivity of electromagnetic waves. Thus, there is an advantage that, even if a direction in which the ID Tag is passed during contacting slightly changes, contact data is hardly changed. However, there is a disadvantage that, if an obstacle composed of a metal (an electric conductor) or the like is present between gate and ID Tag, electromotive force is generated at the above metal by means of a magnetic field from an antenna coil, a current is induced, the magnetic field is disturbed by that current, and contact is prevented.
From the foregoing, when the ID Tag utilized for the RF-ID system of electromagnetic induction method or electromagnetic coupling method is incorporated in bracelet, necklace, or wristwatch that a skier (a person targeted for authentication) wears, and is utilized as an electric lift ticket, the following structures or the like are adopted, thereby to overcome the above problem and ensure proper communication environment.
(1) a structure for mounting the ID Tag on a resin-based wrist band or arm band;
(2) a structure for mounting the ID Tag incorporating rectangular or coil-shaped body on a wristwatch type holder; and
(3) a structure for housing the ID Tag loop-shaped antenna coil and a data carrier IC in a resin-based watch case and a bottom cap.
However, in the case of such incorporation or integration, in particular, when a wristwatch for outdoor or sports activities is exemplified, many metallic members (electric conductors) are employed for a bottom cap or a window frame and the like allocated at the wristwatch main body for the purpose of improving water resistance (pressure resistance), shock resistance, rigidity, and hostile-environment resistance. Therefore, there arises a problem that a failure is likely to occur in data communication with the reader/writer installed at the gate.
However, in the case of such incorporation or integration, in particular, when a wristwatch for outdoor or sports activities is exemplified, a plenty of metallic members (electric conductors) are employed for a bottom cap or a window frame and the like allocated at the wristwatch main body for the purpose of improving water resistance (pressure resistance), shock resistance, rigidity, and hostile-environment resistance. Therefore, there arises a problem that a failure is likely to occur in data communication with the reader/writer installed at the gate.
To avoid the foregoing failure, such metallic member must be substituted by a non-conductive member such as resin. Thus, there has been a problem that the manufacturers cannot guarantee water resistance (pressure resistance), shock resistance, rigidity, and hostile-environment resistance of the wristwatch main body.
Further, many of the present RF-ID systems are applied to electronic communication ticket systems or prepaid card systems. However, with respect to credit systems, electronic commerce or the like including data protection problem, in particular, security problem, development is slower than a contact type IC card system.
The present invention has been achieved to cope with the above mentioned circumstance. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data communication apparatus and a wristwatch type electronic device capable of preferable communication while maintaining ornamental properties of a conventionally inherent wristwatch or variety of external design and while maintaining guarantee for water resistance (pressure resistance), shock resistance, rigidity, and hostile-environment resistance of the inherent wristwatch main body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an authentication system intended for improving utility by a user receiving system service in consideration of reliability in security.
To achieve the above objects, a data communication apparatus according to the present invention comprises a resin-based mainframe, a metallic annular member installed on this mainframe, a metallic plate-shaped member installed on the bottom face side of the mainframe, and an antenna coil arranged at a position distant from the plate-shaped member wherein electromotive force is generated according to a change with time in a magnetic flux that passes between the annular member and the plate-shaped member.
With the above arrangement, even if the metallic (conductive) annular member and metallic plate-shaped member on the back face side of the mainframe are installed, the mainframe is resin-based, and the antenna coil is arranged at a position distant from this metallic plate-shaped member. Thus, inductive electromagnetic waves are extremely hardly prevented by the plate-shaped member or metallic annular member. Failure-free, proper communication can be ensured while a guarantee for water resistance (pressure resistance), shock resistance, rigidity, and hostile-environment resistance are well ensured.
Further, to achieve the foregoing objects, this wristwatch type electronic device according to the present invention comprises a calculator configured to calculate at least time information, a display configured to display the calculation result by the calculator, an electromotive generating section provided at a wrist band section wherein electromotive force is generated according to change with time in a magnetic flux supplied from the outside, a data processing section independent of the calculator wherein data is processed corresponding to electromotive force generated by the electromotive force generating section, and a controller configured to control the electromotive force generating section based on the data processed by the data processing section and output electromagnetic induction wave.
With such arrangement, the electromotive force generating section is provided at the wrist band section. Thus, even if the wristwatch type electronic device main body is formed of a conductive material such as metallic material, there is no problem with operation of the electromotive force generating section in which electromotive force is generated according to change with time in the magnetic flux supplied from the outside, ensure ornamental properties or design variety of the wristwatch type electronic device main body. Inductive electromagnetic waves of their proper frequency band can be utilized without need for considering communication failures when the electromotive force generating section is incorporated in the device main body. Further, the electromotive force generating section is not arranged in the device main body. Thus, the mounting constraint is not widened, and there is no need for increasing the device main body in size according to the size of the electromotive force generating section. Therefore, there can be provided a wristwatch type electronic device comprising a data processing function in the same size as the existing wristwatch.
Further, to achieve the foregoing objects, the wristwatch type electronic device according to the present invention comprises a calculator configured to calculate at least time information, a display configured to display the calculation result by the calculator, an electromotive force generating section configured to generate electromotive force according to change with time in a magnetic flux supplied from the outside, a data processing section independent of the calculator wherein data is processed corresponding to the generated electromotive force by the electromotive force generating section, and a controller configured to control the electromotive force generating section based on the data processed by the data processing section and output electromagnetic induction waves.
With such arrangement, a function as a wristwatch is obtained by the calculator and the display. In addition to the wristwatch function, a function as a data communication apparatus is further obtained by the electromotive force generating section and data processing section and controller independent of the calculator. Therefore, there can be provided a wristwatch type electronic device that readily provides the function as a wristwatch and the function as a data communication apparatus.
Furthermore, to achieve the foregoing objects, an authentication system according to the present invention comprises a reader configured to read authentication data from an electronic device mounted on a person targeted for authentication by electromagnetic induction, a determining section configured to determine whether or not the authentication data read by the reader matches that registered in the system, and an enabling section configured to enable utilization of the system by the person targeted for authentication when the matching is determined by the determining section.
With such arrangement, authentication data is read from the electronic device mounted on the person targeted for authentication in non-communication state by means of electromagnetic induction. When the read authentication data matches that registered in the system, the utilization of the system by the person targeted for authentication is enabled, thereby making it possible to manage system utilization.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.
The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.